Tales from Purgatory
by Shadow Amongst Shadows
Summary: After the events of "A Hunter out of Place," Jango Fett finds himself locked inside the space prison known as Purgatory run by the violent Blue Suns gang. Shepard has been killed, he has no contact with anyone outside, and he needs to get out. Read as Jango Fett contends with monotonous yet dangerous life inside Purgatory.


Author's Note:

Hey people! Welcome back to A Hunter out of Place. Well, the continuation of that story. I plan on making three major books/arcs for this story. This is kind of an in-between for A Hunter out of Place and the next installment. This will include a series of mini-stories and longer shorts. Again, some of this will come into effect but you don't have to read this in order to understand the main storyline. This is simply to add depth without making the main stories too clunky.

I will also be doing a simple introduction in the sequel that will explain the important events that happen in this. How I do this introduction may change depending on how the story progresses.

The chapters for this story are going to be sporadic as I'll be working on other stories at the same time.

I will also be creating some of Purgatory myself as the architecture for the entirety Purgatory is never given and my own research has turned up little.

With that out of the way, enjoy!

" _Text/messages"_

"Speech"

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars, Mass Effect, or any associated characters._

 **Tales from Purgatory**

 _Prologue: Mandalorian Among Thieves_

* * *

It could have gone better but it also could have gone far worse. That was Jango Fett's line of thought as he watched for anything interesting outside his cell. He had been in Purgatory for roughly a week now. Chip had told him not to worry too much about time on the inside. There are people that keep track of it for the gangs and if you don't count the time it passes by faster in here.

Speaking of, turning to Chip Jango asked, "you said something about Batarians coming here?"

"I did," Chip responded while pressing a hand against his facemask in a thoughtful expression. Chip was a Quarian that was under half his age even though he tried to act older.

The two were currently sharing a room; "room" was a loose term he'd use. They were compartments that could be ejected into space at any time. According to Chip, there were thirty blocks with roughly two hundred cells each. Chip and Jango were currently sharing their little coffin together.

"Ya know how there's a lot of rumors going around outside that say the Blue Suns are selling convicts as slaves?" Chip's words came off in an obvious tone but Jango hadn't heard of that. In fact, he didn't even know until recently that the Blue Suns had been a huge gang that ran Purgatory. On the other hand, he was a bounty hunter from another galaxy so how much could he really know?

"Sure," Jango responded egging on the Quarian to continue.

"All true," Chip said leaning back against the wall of their cell and crossing his arms. One thing Jango had noticed was that this Quarian had decided to dress in all black. As far as he knew, this was a rarity among Quarians who often used a multitude of colors.

"All right, so what does that have to do with me?" His question could be misconstrued as being annoyed.

There was a short nod from the Quarian before he responded, "because that's the only way off this station alive. The only people who get sent here are life-sentence prisoners and people who know too much." There was a slight pause before he continued, "of course they threaten stations with the release of prisoners in order to get cheap fuel or credits but never actually do so."

The two had been sharing a cell but other than giving some general information the two had barely chatted with one another. The kid was wary of people and that was probably what kept him alive so far. On the other hand, Jango wasn't one for conversations either.

The only time the two had a conversation of a more personal nature was when Jango had first arrived and Chip had asked what he was in for. Jango hadn't given any information to Chip or anyone else so far. He imagined that they'd figure it out eventually.

"So what, getting sold as a slave is the only way off this rust-bucket," Jango asked while turning to look outside. The uniform white walls of Purgatory weren't much to look at but the occupants that were sometimes let out were.

So far Jango had only been let out twice. Apparently, newer prisoners had to "learn the rules" as all older prisoners were let out whenever they wanted as long as they behaved.

"Pretty much, though I've heard the Blue Suns will take prisoners and turn them into guards if they're good enough. Actual —" The sound of the door opening cut Chip off.

"Prisoners 18-134-1 and 18-134-2 please step towards the edge of your cell. Your scheduled rec time will begin once you touch ground," a voice over the intercom said as one of the odd-looking turrets neared their cell.

The two stepped forward and felt whatever gravitational force the device exerted. It picked the two up before slowly lowering them to the ground.

There wasn't much inside their block which consisted of a few rooms. Said rooms were broken down into a recreational room which consisted of a few select exercise machines and other miscellaneous items, the kitchen which served food, and the workroom where they washed clothes. The inmates weren't trusted to do anything else. There weren't even showers as there was a simple decontamination process in their cells which happened daily.

The bounty hunter wondered why they bothered with washing clothes anyways since the decontamination process did everything they did and then some. Maybe it was to keep them from boredom? After all, boredom and your fellow inmate were your worst enemies here. Jango knew soldiers who had committed either stupid or heinous acts in the name of boredom.

They technically didn't even need the kitchen as they were served their "food" at their cells. Their food was some strange paste that gave all the nutrients they needed. Jango figured the workroom and the kitchen were there to give inmates time to socialize and have busywork.

The cells lined the walls to the three rooms so any person was being watched at all times. Nothing could be done without being seen by someone.

For the two of them, they were outsiders. Well as far as Jango knew Chip was an outsider as well. The white jumpsuit they had provided him with was too baggy for his tastes but it at least made him blend in with the rest of the residents.

At first, Jango was confused by the fact that Chip had been allowed to keep his suit, he figured that even Quarians would be issued specialized prison suits. He hadn't realized the severity and need to wear the suit at literally all times. Apparently even exposing themselves to the air just to change would make them incredibly sick to the point of possibly dying.

"Back to training," the Quarian asked while looking at Jango. In turn, the Mandalorian nodded his head and the two proceeded towards the recreational room.

For the past week or so the two had come to an agreement; Jango needed info and the Quarian needed training. The two were also bored most of the time and needed something to do.

"You mentioned something about gangs last time we were talking," Jango said while he set up one of the well-used mats on the floor.

"I was getting to that actually," Chip responded while stretching. "The process to "prove yourself" here to the Blue Suns is usually to start your own gang here. If you prove competent in running said gang, there's a chance that you'll be inducted into the Blue Suns."

Jango had finished placing the matt and stood on one end of it. It was a rather large matt so the two had plenty of room between each other as the Quarian stepped up as well.

"All right, tell me about the gangs while you show me what you've learned so far," Jango said while getting into a defensive stance. This was how he liked to start their sessions. He'd begin with a sparring session to warm up, show him a few techniques or ideas, and finished with another sparring session.

"Well, first gangs aren't allowed names. Guards don't like it but none of the prisoners know why," Chip began as he slowly moved in towards the Mandalorian.

The Quarian chose a more active stance that allowed for momentum. Jango could see the flaws. His form was too loose and the boy would take too long to reach his arms up to defend himself. He said nothing for now.

"The first one you should know is Bunt's gang. He's a Krogan and his gang is only made up of other Krogans and Vorcha. I hear he's got some code he follows but he's still not someone to trifle with." At the end of his words, Chip lashed out with a jab towards Jango's head.

The movement had been too slow and telegraphed beforehand and the bounty hunter swatted it away with his forearm. "Keep it tighter ad'ika," Jango said while throwing out a light jab in response. If the Mandalorian truly wanted to, he could end Chip's life within a few moments, but this was simply training.

There was a grunt that came from the Quarian as he pushed the offending limb away with one arm and tried to punch Jango in the gut. Quarians were known for being physically weak and Jango wasn't your average human. He allowed the blow to hit but barely felt the impact. He felt a small measure of pride as he realized the Quarian was using tactics he had taught.

"Remember to use your entire body in an attack. You're not physically strong so you have to put more effort into making your hits hurt," the bounty hunter said while grabbing the Quarian's wrist and pushing it away. Chip nodded in response while letting out a sigh.

Backing off the two slowly sized each other up. "The next gang would be Kolar, he's also a Krogan and used to work for Bunt. He branched off to form his own gang though. Careful around him he's not nearly as restrained about his distaste for other species." The Quarian's words were punctuated by him raising his leg in defense.

Jango had gone for the classic leg sweep and the Quarian had met his leg to stop it. This was followed by Chip quickly backing off and closing his form into a boxer style.

When Jango had originally agreed to this, he was surprised that the guards had allowed it. He suspected that fighting was a frowned upon thing. He was proven wrong when it came to simple sparring.

What was far more worrying was that Chip told him that there were even fight rings within the prison. The guards could bet on who would win in the fight and it was a good thing for the prisoners to train towards. Chip even heard that being good enough in the ring could get a person out of here and into the ranks of the Blue Suns.

"After that, there's Unop's group. He's a Salarian who can get hold of things most prisoners wouldn't dream of. Rumor has it that he's got some of the guards in his pocket," the Quarian said as he closed in to deliver a series of jabs.

Jango backed up slightly before allowing a few of the jabs to connect with his guard. He knew the Quarian had made one simple mistake that would lead to his defeat here.

One jab reached just a bit too far and Jango used one hand to grab his wrist while the other went just under his shoulder. The Mandalorian made a quick twisting motion sending Chip over his shoulder. Before Chip knew what was happening he was already on his back.

Chip wheezed out now that he was on the ground. The flip hadn't been gentle but Jango had never promised to be gentle.

"You aren't experienced enough in that style yet. Plus you're too physically weak being a Quarian. It'd be a better idea to stick to the quick style you were using before and simply don't get hit," Jango said while stepping back and allowing the kid some room.

A few moments of lying there seemed to give the kid his wind back. Slowly sitting up Chip replied, "yeah, should've seen it coming. Mark my words though I'm gonna get a solid hit on you sometime."

"That's the spirit," Jango said while moving over towards Chip and helping him up. "You were talking about the gangs?"

At his question, the Quarian turned to face him before saying, "there's just one more, El'li Sabuor's gang. She's an Asari that recently came here from what I've heard. She's been recruiting like crazy and is already rivaling Bunt's gang. I hear she's extremely dangerous with her biotics."

The nod of Jango's head confirmed that he was listening to Chip's words. "Four gangs to watch," the bounty hunter muttered to himself before turning to the Quarian. "All right time for a few lessons."

"Most of the moves I've taught you have been to compensate for your lack of strength," the bounty hunter began while taking a stance. "This one will do the same."

He motioned with his hand for the Quarian to come at him and Chip obliged. He came in with a simple straight which was his first and last mistake for this exercise.

The Mandalorian sidestepped the fist and moved in past the Quarian's defense. The human's left arm moved behind Chip's bicep and grabbed hold as his other hand moved to the Quarian's mask and forced his head upward. Finally, his leg found its way behind Chip's as his entire body moved in one motion using his grip on the Quarian to send him to the ground back-first.

Chip ended up on his back again wheezing once more. He was getting really tired of being on the floor. He slowly sat back up before being helped up by the bounty hunter.

"Now I'd like you to try it ou-," Jango began before being cut off by someone approaching.

A Krogan stepped forward with a sneer on his face. Jango couldn't help but let a frown grace his face as well. This guy was going to be trouble.

"Human, ya think you're tough, don't you? Teaching this weakling to fight," the Krogan said gesturing towards Chip. Jango noted the red tint on the Krogan's head plate and how there were a good number of scars adorning it.

"I think you should mind your own business," the bounty hunter replied readying himself for a fight.

The Krogan chuckled before saying, "you're obviously new here. They don't allow actual fights here. Your "training" doesn't warrant their attention." The chuckling died down as he took another step towards the Mandalorian. "If you want to fight me, I'll be in the ring."

With that being said, the Krogan walked off for now leaving the two in peace.

"Who was he," the bounty hunter asked in a demanding tone as he turned towards Chip.

The Quarian shrugged his shoulders while responding, "he's Growser, been in here a long time. Former Merc with a bad attitude."

Jango recalled Chip telling him something about the cells being divided into blocks and how older prisoners were in lower numbered blocks. "If he's been here so long, how is he in our block?"

Chip nodded his head while replying, "well you already know how older prisoners get more rec time. They also get more freedom to go from block to block if they want." Jango frowned at that new info. It meant that this new Krogan was going to be a long-term issue for him.

The bounty hunter was about to continue the Quarian's training when he spotted a Turian approaching him. He withheld a sigh at being interrupted again but turned to face him.

"Jango Fett," the Turian greeted as he approached. He nodded towards Chip before continuing, "I'm Travos, I work for Sabuor."

One of the head inmates was already trying to reach out to him? This was either really good or really bad. "What does she want from me?"

The Turian took on an almost military-like posture before continuing, "Sabuor monitors all knew inmates for promising recruits and noticed you training the Quarian here. She knows when there's a seasoned warrior and wants you to train new recruits for her."

There was a long pause from the Mandalorian as he thought over the proposition. "I need time to decide," the bounty hunter responded as he crossed his arms.

"Of course, but remember that you must make the decision soon. We'll send an envoy to hear your decision in a day or so," Travos replied giving him a slight nod. He took a step or two away before turning towards the exit. "Oh and remember," the Turian began as he stopped and turned to the two. "Sabuor doesn't take no for an answer."

Jango's eyes narrowed as the Turian turned away and walked towards the exit. "Holy shit," Chip began as he turned to the bounty hunter. "I've never seen someone get approached by a gang in the first week. You've got to take this. Not only to get a better position in the prison but if you don't she'll send people to kill you."

The Mandalorian turned towards the Quarian but didn't respond. He wasn't really looking to be under anyone's "employment" at the moment but he wasn't seeing a whole lot of ways out. "She's also pushy," the Mandalorian commented while he walked towards the mat. He could let his mind process this new proposal as they sparred.

"Hey friend." Jango heard the new voice and almost audibly groaned at being interrupted again. What was with everyone bugging him today?

He turned towards the source of the noise and found a rather short Drell standing there. "What do you want," the bounty hunter replied visibly annoyed.

"Don't be like that friend," the Drell responded taking a step closer. "I'm just here to give you an offer and not a forced one at that." The shady Drell let out a raspy chuckle before continuing, "I'm a merchant around here. You need something, just come to me, for the right price."

Jango narrowed his eyes as he responded, "and what would that price be?"

"Depends on what you need. Most people trade favors here. If you've got something rare, I'm willing to trade too." The Drell's words were dry and grated on Jango's ears. The others to approach him may have been dangerous but this guy was definitely the shiftiest of the bunch.

"Have a name "friend," the bounty hunter turned inmate asked while narrowing his eyes are the Drell.

Another raspy cough escaped the shifty prisoner before he replied, "people around here call me Ghost. I acquire things and then sell them."

"He used to be part of Unop's gang but they had a falling out," Chip whispered to Jango as the Drell ran his hands along his collar.

That was something else the Mandalorian had noticed. Most prisoners either wore plain orange or white jumpsuits though he wasn't sure why there was a color difference but most prisoners that asked questions got the shit beat out of them.

The Drell in front of him had a white customized jumpsuit which was something Jango hadn't seen before. "That's old news friend, now come on, I just want you to think of me when you need something." Ghost's words did little to put the human at ease.

"I'll consider it," the bounty hunter replied trying not to make enemies but at the same time not trusting this Drell at all.

"Wonderful, you just let me know if you need something," the dealer replied before turning away. "For now, so long," he finished before walking towards the exit of the cellblock.

"That guy always gives me the creeps," Chip said while Jango glanced upwards. The Mandalorian could see the tubes above that the guards used to navigate their ways between each block without coming into contact with the prisoners.

The beginnings of an escape plan were starting to form in his head. They didn't have a ship to escape on but he imagined that would be a non-issue if he could just figure a way to get into the tubes discretely.

It looked like the guards traveled in pairs which could be a problem if he needed to get around quietly. Not to mention if they had some kind of surveillance system that monitored not only the tunnels but the cell blocks as well.

He didn't plan on getting out anytime soon but he could at least start laying the groundwork for when he had more contacts and supplies. Now that he thought about it, how did they manage to smuggle equipment into the prison when the prison itself was in space?

"Prisoners 18-134-1 and 18-134-2, please step towards and face the edge of the cells, your scheduled rec time has come to an end."

The voice that had spoken over the intercom had interrupted his thoughts on supplies as he saw the familiar gravitational turrets move towards them. The two moved to the designated area as Chip leaned in and whispered, "I always hate these things. Feeling weightless, knowing they could drop you to your death… It's not a great feeling."

The bounty hunter was about to respond but was cut off as the device grabbed and lifted them up. A few seconds later and the two were dropped off in their cell before the door closed and locked behind them.

"Decontamination in progress," an automated feminine voice called out before the air around them as the air around them heated up. It felt like air was being blown at them but Jango knew far more was going on.

Chip tried to explain it to him once how the programs have designated their specific cells and their cell's cells as acceptable and to eliminate all other cells. He didn't get all the tech talk but whatever it did, it did it well. It always kept the two of them clean.

Once the air returned to a normal temperature, Chip moved over to his bed before laying down. "Best get comfortable, it's gonna be a while before we're let out again," the Quarian noted before yawning and turning on his side.

The Mandalorian didn't respond and instead sat down on his bed across from Chip. He idly glanced out of the transparent cell doors and into the block. Now that he thought about it, the way these cells were made reminded him of certain kinds of bugs and Geonosians.

He needed to get out of here and find a way to get his ship and equipment back. He didn't have a good way yet and he had never heard of anyone escaping Purgatory. He'd have to be patient and wait for his chance.

Until then, all he could do for now was sit and wait. His mind wandered to the people he had met before. He wondered how that purple Quarian was doing. Maybe she was dismantling and figuring out every part of his ship right now. He didn't like the idea but the thought of her tirelessly working away in frustration to figure out how the Slave I worked brought a small smile to his face.

Then his thoughts drifted to Shepard. A part of him still couldn't believe that she had died just like that. There had been no warning and it meant that the Reapers were moving faster than he had anticipated plus Shepard seemed tougher than most. The idea she was taken by surprise was hard to believe.

The memory of an old comrade dying in his arms made him rethink that last statement. Anyone could die at any time so it was best to keep your distance. Still, he needed to know exactly what happened.

He'd wait for the perfect opportunity, escape, get his equipment and ship back, and figure out what exactly had happened to Shepard. Then he could finally work on getting home to Boba again.

* * *

Author's Note:

Well, thanks for reading! I know it's been a long while since I posted for this and I hope the wait was worth it. I started up college again so I post very sporadically.

Please be patient with me and I will eventually get this done!

Thanks for reading!


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